


Dream Makers and Memory Keepers

by WhiteravenGreywolf



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Cute Kids, Disney World & Disneyland, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28875438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf
Summary: As they wait for the evening show, Carol and Maria look back on their first day at Disneyworld and the many pictures of Monica they have taken.
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Maria Rambeau & Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42
Collections: Marvel Trumps Hate 2020





	Dream Makers and Memory Keepers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [velociraptorerin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/velociraptorerin/gifts).



> Hey guys! It's been a while since I've written for this fandom!  
> This story was written for velociraptorerin who not only has a seriously awesome user name but won my bid at the 2020 MTH charity auction! Thank you again for your donation, velociraptorerin, and I'm glad I could do my small part to make the world a bit better :)  
> That being said, I've never been to Disneyworld, only to Disneyland Paris but I'm a huge Disney parks nerd, and with the help of the internet, I tried my best to be as faithful to the real Disneyworld experience as I could.  
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it!

Maria spotted the miraculously empty bench and Monica mustered all the energy she had left to run to it. Soon enough, her parents caught up. Carol was carrying a small collection of shopping bags. She tugged them between her feet as she sat down. Monica was sandwiched between her moms. Cinderella castle rose over them on the other side of the circular plaza. Now that the night had fallen, it was illuminated by powerful projectors, so that even the blue rooftops and golden spirals were visible as if it were the middle of the day.

  
The whole plaza was lit by streetlights. However, despite the intense lights around her, Monica yawned. She rubbed her eyes and rested her head against Maria's shoulder.

  
"Don't fall asleep before the fireworks, Lieutenant Trouble," Carol said.

  
"It's fine, we have plenty of time. She can take a little nap."

  
In no time at all, Monica was asleep. People began to crowd the plaza in preparation for the light show and fireworks. Carol checked her phone. They still had a good hour to wait. Maria was holding onto her daughter. Carol slid just a bit closer, careful not to crush Monica between them, and placed one arm over the backrest of the bench. She could feel the warmth of Maria's arm against her hand.

  
"We're going to be eating nothing but potatoes for the rest of the year, but it would have been so worth it," Carol said with a smile.

  
Maria brushed a strand of curly hair away from Monica's face.

  
"She's going to run us ragged. We're here all week and I'm already tired."

  
"To be fair, the first's day is always the most exciting."

  
Maria glanced at her in disbelief and Carol shrugged.

  
"If you want to take a day off at the spa, I can handle her."

  
"Even if she wants to go on 'It's a small world' again?" Maria asked with a chuckle.

  
Carol shuddered.

  
"I'll do my best..."

  
More and more people settled on the sidewalk and in any available spot to wait. Many were families just like them, with one or more children either too excited to fall asleep or struggling to remain awake. Carol checked the time again on her phone and eventually, she decided to check the pictures she'd taken during the day. She almost had the wind knocked out of her by the number of pictures alone.

  
"Thank God I remembered to empty my phone before we left. It's just the first day and I already have over a hundred pictures!"

  
Maria leaned a bit closer, mindful of the sleeping eight-year-old against her.

  
"Let me see."

  
Carol selected the oldest picture she'd taken, one of Monica posing beside the huge statue of Ariel at their hotel.

  
"That's one a keeper alright."

* * *

Monica had spent the entire trip vibrating with excitement in the backseat of the car. It was only logical that when they'd reached the hotel, she'd jumped out of the car. She would have run ahead if there hadn't been so many cars looking for a parking spot. Carol had handled the suitcases and once they'd reached the sidewalk, Monica had sprinted to the hotel. Maria had smiled at her daughter's excitement. She'd pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of her looking up at the various Disney decorations on the walls. A big neon sign had marked the entrance of the hotel, with many Disney characters drawn on the wall of the reception hall.

  
They'd joined the line of people waiting but very quickly Monica had left her parents' side. At least there had been a lot of things to keep her occupied while they'd waited for their turn at the reception. The walls had been filled with drawings of characters, and like many children, Monica had run back and forth along the wall to see them all. However, as soon as it'd been their turn to get a room, she'd flown back to her parents.

  
"Hello, welcome to Disneyworld Resort. Do you have a reservation?" the smiling woman whose name-tag read 'Kyla' had said.

  
"We do," Carol had replied. "Under Rambeau? Room for three."

  
Kyla had searched for a moment on her computer. Monica had looked up at her over the counter, standing on her toes to see better.

  
"Ah, here you are. Everything seems to be in order. Your room is in building 7, room 7654. When you exit the reception take a left. Cross the Lion King area and building 7 should be on your right."

  
Kyla had looked down at Monica.

  
"What's your name?"

  
"Monica."

  
"Do you want a map, Monica?"

  
Monica had nodded. Kyla had handed her a map of the hotel.

  
"Here, you can guide your parents now. Is this your first time at Disneyworld?"

  
Monica had glanced at the map, spotting the building marked 7 with a seashell, then looked back at the woman.

  
"Yes. It's for my birthday."

  
Kyla had smiled.

  
"Really? Well, happy birthday then! Here."

  
From beneath the counter, she'd pulled out a big button with Mickey holding a cake, and 'Happy Birthday' written on it. Monica's eyes had seemed to grow as wide as the button itself.

  
"Wear it when you go around the park so everyone will know."

  
Monica had picked up the button, staring at it.

  
"What do you say?" Maria had tried, but it was obvious Monica had been long gone at this point, entirely absorbed by the button.

  
Maria had turned back to Kyla.

  
"Thank you."

  
"You're welcome. Here are your room key and your park tickets. We have buses every five minutes to the various parks."

  
While Maria had listened to the receptionist's instructions, Monica had presented Carol with the button.

  
"Help me put it on."

  
Carol had kneeled and carefully pined the button on her daughter's tee-shirt as if it were a medal.

  
"That's a really nice button."

  
"Are you jealous?" Monica had joked.

  
"Of course I am! That's a super special button!"

* * *

Carol scrolled through a few pictures she'd taken on their way to the park until she reached a picture of Monica excitedly pointing at the train station near the entrance.

  
"In all this excitement we didn't even ride the train."

  
"I'm pretty sure Monica will ask again eventually."

  
"I wouldn't expect anything less from her."

  
The following pictures saw them making their way down Main Street. Monica had spent quite a few minutes staring at the merchandise in the windows of the many shops. So far they'd managed to keep her from buying too many big things, like a plush half her size, but both Maria and Carol knew that it was only the first day. The threat of them driving back home with a two feet tall plush in the backseat was very real.

  
Carol had snapped quite a few pictures of Monica around the castle, smiling brightly. Then were the pictures she'd taken in the queues. In the queue for Peter Pan's Flight, where Monica had spotted a Tinkerbell hidden on the wall. On the queue for the carousel, with all the fancily decorated white horses behind her. The queue for It's a small world, with all the cutout on the wall.

  
"She's really taken by this one," Maria commented.

  
"I'm surprised, actually. I was sure one of the more thrilling rides was going to be her favorite. Not It's a small world."

  
Maria chuckled.

  
"You're just peeved because you hate it."

  
"I think it's the music that's driving me nuts."

  
Maria chuckled and kissed Carol's temple.

* * *

"This one is on boats!" Monica had shouted excitedly, making her parents laugh.

  
They'd settled in a blue plastic boat, Monica tugged between her parents. Once the boat had been full, it'd been pushed off on small wheels. It'd shaken for a moment, making Monica giggle, and finally touched the water. Carol had taken a deep breath as the smell of the water filled the air. It'd brought back childhood memories. The boat had floated onward and soon enough, they'd passed black curtains and into the ride proper. Hundreds of colorful dolls, all dressed to their country's traditional attire, had been dancing and turning and singing the same song in their native language. Monica had tried as best as she could to look on both sides, but she'd ended up glued to the right side, leaned over Carol to look at all the characters and designs and decors. All the while, she'd continued to bob her head to the music. By the end, she'd been gently singing along to the English version.

  
They'd emerged out of the boats and left the show-building. Carol had sighed.

  
"You know what? I used to hate this ride as a kid. But in hindsight, it's really not so bad. Definitely not as annoying as I remembered it to be."

  
Monica had given her a strange, almost guilty look.

  
"Can we ride it again? I didn't see everything."

  
Carol and Maria had shared a glance. Carol had almost regretted having said what she had. But in the end, it was Monica's birthday gift.

  
"Sure, why not?"

  
They'd joined the queue once again and during most of it, Monica had hummed and sung along with the music playing. Carol wouldn't have said that it was beginning to get on her nerves, but she couldn't quite wait to get out of it. They'd been put in an orange boat this time, Monica once again trapped between her moms. She'd leaned over Maria to see the left side better. Carol had leaned back in the boat and sighed. Here we go again, she'd thought.

  
The boat had been pushed onto the water, and almost as soon as it'd started, Monica had begun pointing out things. She'd been so excited about the pink camel, the small koalas, the giant bananas hanging above a tower, and the dancing penguins that Carol couldn't be mad for long. Soon enough, she too had turned to the left and looked over Monica's shoulder to what she'd been pointing at.

* * *

In the next few pictures, they'd settled around a table for lunch after having bought food from a stall. As soon as they'd been done, Monica hadn't even given them the time to breathe, and she'd dragged them to the nearest land, Liberty Square. The line for the Haunted Mansion had been rather long and so Carol had a lot of pictures of Monica and Maria there. The massive red-bricked mansion loomed over every shot.

  
"At least she hasn't been scared of anything yet," Maria said as she mindlessly combed through Monica's hair.

  
"That's 'cause she's brave. And she's too small to go on Space Mountain yet."

  
The next few pictures showed Monica standing by the Rivers of America. She'd refused to stop by the Hall of Presidents and the picture of her stubborn face as Carol had tried to convince her that it was interesting was enough to make the blonde smile.

  
"I'll get her into the Carousel of Progress, you'll see."

  
Maria laughed.

  
"She can barely sit down to ride and you want to get her to sit for twenty minutes for a long, outdated show."

  
Carol gasped.

  
"How dare you! Carousel of Progress is a beloved classic."

  
Carol scrolled past a few pictures until she found a picture of Monica in the Jungle Cruise boat.

  
"See? We managed to get her to sit for the Jungle Cruise."

  
"Barely. And only because the skipper threatened to throw overboard anyone who stuck their arms out."

* * *

They'd boarded the Nile Nellie manned by a young man in a beige explorer's outfit. For once Carol had been the one trapped in the middle. She'd taken Maria's hand in hers. Monica had had to keep her excitement to a minimum, or else she would have made the whole boat bounce. Once everyone had been on board and the boat ahead had cleared the way, they'd been off.

  
The skipper had introduced himself as Jim and had led them through the Amazon rain forest. Monica had been looking excitedly on both sides of the boat for animals, but she'd seen nothing except a waterfall so far, and she'd pouted. Carol had wanted to tell her to wait a second as the animals would be coming. Soon enough, however, the skipper had pointed to an abandoned camp on the other side of the river. Monica had leaned as much as she dared to look past the people on the bench opposite theirs.

  
"I wonder what could have scared them away," Jim had said in the speakers.

  
Carol had tapped Monica's shoulder, prompting her to turn around. She'd jumped back into her mother's arms when she'd seen a massive python hanging over the branches of a tree. Its large yellow head had shifted toward the boat. As soon as they'd passed it, Monica had straightened up and away from Carol.

  
"You can hold my hand if you're scared," Carol had said.

  
"I'm not scared."

  
Carol had smiled. Monica had put on the face of bravery and had continued to look around. They'd come across more animals as they went on. A gorilla which had trashed the skipper's camp and flipped over the car. A whole group of zebras and antelopes and giraffes. A pride of lions eating a zebra.

  
"Oh, would you look at that," the skipper had said when they'd stumbled upon a group of people trying to climb up a tree and away from a rhino. "It's our lost expedition. We've been looking for them for a while."

  
Monica had chuckled. The boat had continued on its way as hippos had emerged out of the water, splashing about. Monica had received a spray of water coming from the nearby hippo. She'd laughed and brushed it off her face as best as she could. They'd avoided the headhunter's ambush and reached a waterfall. The boat had continued onward into a collapsing temple, and Jim had suddenly fallen quiet. Everything had gone dark and Carol had felt Monica holding her breath beside her as if she'd been waiting for something to jump out. In between broken stones, a tiger with glowing eyes had suddenly appeared. Monica hadn't jumped this time, but she'd seemed pretty impressed.

  
They'd finished the cruise by a trip through the elephant pool and they'd finally returned to the docks. Monica had been skipping when they'd exited the attraction.

  
"What now?" she'd asked.

  
"How about the Enchanted Tikki Room?" Carol had suggested.

  
"What's that?"

  
"It's a show with talking birds."

  
Monica had seemed uncertain.

  
"They sing," Carol had added, hoping it would convince her.

  
"What's that over there?" Monica had asked, pointing to a huge tree with nets and walkways and a big treehouse.

  
"The Swiss Robinson Treehouse."

  
"I want to do that!"

  
Monica had begun rushing ahead. Carol had sighed. Maria had taken her wife's hand in hers and said:

  
"It's her birthday."

  
"I know."

* * *

"We need to make an album when we get home," Maria said as they skimmed through the pictures of them waiting for Splash Mountain.

  
"Maybe two with how many pictures I've taken."

  
"I'll take all the pictures tomorrow, or you're never going to be on any of them."

  
Carol shrugged.

  
"It's not like there's any doubt on who's taking the pictures anyway."

  
They reached a picture of Monica and Maria alone, waiting for It's a Small World again. They'd told Monica it was her last ride of the day, so she'd decided to ride this one again. Thankfully, Carol had been spared. In the picture, Maria was looking ahead of them and Monica had spotted Carol on the bench, so she was waving at her.

  
"You're a real paparazzi, aren't you?"

  
"I like to take pictures of my favorite things."

  
The last few pictures showed them at the restaurant for dinner, with Monica already looking on the verge of passing out. They'd managed to revive some excitement in her by taking her shopping, but as evidenced by the fact that she was still sleeping between them, it hadn't taken much to empty her energy for good.

  
"So what did you buy?" Maria asked once they reached the end of the pictures Carol had taken. "While we were on It's a small world?"

  
Carol pocketed her phone.

  
"Just a few things for Monica, I'll show you later."

* * *

Carol had decided to take a small trip through the nearby shop while her wife and daughter rode her least favorite attraction again. As expected, the walls of the shop had been lined with Disney products. From plushes and tee-shirts to headgears and even mugs and blankets. Musical instruments had decorated the top of the walls and ceilings. Carol had begun skimming through the aisle, thinking Monica might like some of the things on sale.

  
Soon enough, she'd found a rotating shelf filled with pins of all sorts. Pins representing characters or attractions. They'd sold lanyard right beside them. There had been a small instructions notice beside it, which had explained the pin trading system. Apparently, you could exchange pins with other people, even cast members. Carol had thought Monica might like it. Just a few months ago she'd been into trading Pokemon cards with her friends at school. This could be a fun opportunity.

  
Carol had picked up a colorful lanyard and a handful of metal pins which she'd thought Monica might like. Some with her favorite princesses and others with some of the attractions they'd done throughout the day. She'd brought them all to the counter to pay. As the cast member had scanned all the pins, Carol had noticed a few CDs by the cash register. They'd sold the music from It's a small world. Thinking that Monica would probably love it, Carol had taken the CD as well. She'd hoped she wouldn't regret it, and decided to probably keep it hidden until they'd gone home. She didn't want to drive all the way home with It's a small world playing in the car during the entire trip.

  
She'd paid and had been back outside just before Maria and Monica had exited the attraction. Monica had run up to her.

  
"It was awesome!"

  
"Really? Still as good the third time?"

  
Monica had nodded, then noticed the plastic bag in her mother's hand.

  
"What's that?"

  
"It's a surprise. I'll show you later."

  
Maria had caught up with them and Carol had said:

  
"Well, I'm hungry! How about we grab some dinner now?"

  
Carol had taken Monica's hand in hers and Monica had reached for Maria's hand. Together they'd wandered off in search of food.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our nighttime spectacular Once Upon a Time is about to begin."

  
Carol looked down at Monica still sandwiched between them.

  
"We should wake her up."

  
Maria gently brushed her daughter's hair and called her out of her slumber:

  
"Monica? Wake up, sweetie, the show's going to start."

  
Monica groaned and mumbled something as she fought off sleep.

  
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Carol joked.

  
Monica rubbed her eyes and yawned. With difficulty, she managed to pull out of her dreams. She opened her sleepy brown eyes and looked around. The plaza was packed with people all standing and looking at the castle. Monica could only see the top of it from the bench.

  
"What's the show?" she tiredly mumbled.

  
"They're gonna project things on the castle."

  
"I can't see it."

  
"Do you want to climb on my shoulders?" Carol asked.

  
Monica nodded. She hopped off the bench and rubbed her eyes one last time. Carol entrusted her bags to her wife then kneeled so Monica could climb up on her shoulders. She was becoming a bit too big for it now, but she weight just as much as Carol could lift, so she could carry her for a little bit. She made sure Monica was steadily sat on her shoulders then handed her her phone.

  
"Here, so you can take pictures."

  
Monica took the phone and Carol warned:

  
"But don't drop it. Especially if you're going to drop it on my head."

  
Monica giggled. Maria stood up from the bench when the lights of the castle were turned off. She stood by Carol's side as silence fell over the plaza. Carol could feel her heart vibrating with excitement. But as soon as the first few notes of triumphant filled the air and light appeared on the castle, the crowd let out shouts of amazement.

  
Monica began by taking a picture or two, but almost immediately, her full attention was given to the show. She lowered the phone and focused on the images dancing over the castle.

  
"Look, it's Ariel!"

  
Beside her Maria replied:

  
"I see her too."

  
"Wow..."

  
Carol smiled and looked at her wife. Maria smiled back and leaned a bit closer, her arm wrapping around Carol's. Carol couldn't believe that they'd been in the park only for a day. It felt like forever since they'd stepped under the railway and into Main Street for the first time. And they still had six days to go. It was going to be phenomenal.


End file.
